Majithia should not run away from probe: Manpreet

People's Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal on Sunday said revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia should not run away from an inquiry into the allegations of his involvement in the drug racket.

While talking to reporters here after addressing a gathering in connection with his 'Putt Bachao muhim' (Save the Sons campaign), Manpreet said though the Punjab and Haryana high court and the Punjab government had rejected the demand for a CBI inquiry into the drug racket, if Majithia was confident of his innocence, he should come forward for an inquiry by a retired judge of the high court or by the police of either Haryana, Himachal Pradesh or Rajasthan.

Manpreet called upon the religious leadership in the state to come forward to check the menace of intoxicants. "Religious edicts should be issued from gurdwaras, temples, churches and mosques that whosoever indulges in drug trade will not be part of society," he said.

The PPP leader said that as part of the 'Putt Bachao muhim', party workers would gather facts about the drug trade and people affected by the use of intoxicants this month after which a 'people's probe report' in this regard would be made public in Chandigarh on March 1.

Manpreet blamed the state government for the drug trade in the state. "If the government can finish terrorism in the state, why can't the drug trade be stopped," he asked.

Manpreet said all political parties had tried to take mileage from the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He said the victims of the riots should be given justice. He also welcomed the Delhi government's decision to form a special investigating team for the riots.

Manpreet said the Sanjha Morcha would contest all 13 seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections and the PPP would not enter into an alliance with any other party, adding that it was yet to be decided how many seats the PPP would contest.

Earlier, addressing the gathering, he said a concerted effort was needed to check the menace of drugs, which had taken the youth of the state in its grip.